Even when periwinkle (vinca minor) is out of bloom I love it on this slope in the Laguna garden. It is under a tree and I have a hard time growing anything there except this prolific groundcover that is really a vine. The Rose of Sharon and Japanese Maple have already gone dormant on this cool north facing hill, but the vinca fills in the area quite nicely up to the yellow clivia which will bloom in the late spring. One time a helper of mine mistook my instructions and removed all of the vinca from this area and it looked dreadful for a couple years as I tried other plants to fill in. Finally I went back to my old favorite and it has not disappointed me. I know some people find it aggressive and I probably would too if it weren't in a setting where I needed something to cover a large area in the shade under a tree. Here, it works for me.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Periwinkle
Even when periwinkle (vinca minor) is out of bloom I love it on this slope in the Laguna garden. It is under a tree and I have a hard time growing anything there except this prolific groundcover that is really a vine. The Rose of Sharon and Japanese Maple have already gone dormant on this cool north facing hill, but the vinca fills in the area quite nicely up to the yellow clivia which will bloom in the late spring. One time a helper of mine mistook my instructions and removed all of the vinca from this area and it looked dreadful for a couple years as I tried other plants to fill in. Finally I went back to my old favorite and it has not disappointed me. I know some people find it aggressive and I probably would too if it weren't in a setting where I needed something to cover a large area in the shade under a tree. Here, it works for me.
Sheila, it is a case of right plant, right place. I am forever pulling up periwinkle, planted by a previous owner and probably worked well for them. But in a small garden I need all the space I can get to grow other plants and periwinkle is not very sociable!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Sylvia (England)